C207
Rumble!
The muzzles of the reorganized tanks roared continuously, and after a while, bombers loaded with full ammunition passed over Wakanda.
By the third day, Wakanda's energy barrier had already developed irreparable breaches, and their energy reserves were nearly exhausted.
Wakanda's energy resources were vast, but under the relentless bombing of the Seven-Nation Alliance, led by the United States, they were forced to maintain the barrier at maximum capacity 24/7 to protect all the tribes.
Unless they diverted all remaining power from their combat weapons to the barrier, which would only last for a short while, they would soon be left without a means of counterattack.
Inside Wakanda, T'Chaka summoned warriors from all tribes and declared loudly,
"Citizens of Wakanda, we now face the greatest crisis in a thousand years. In this moment of peril, we must stand united! The energy barrier will be lifted soon. We must defend Wakanda and drive out these vicious invaders! Wakanda forever!"
"Wakanda forever!"
The warriors before him shouted the battle cry with passion, repeating it more than ten times until their throats were hoarse. Only then did T'Chaka dismiss most of them to their respective battle positions.
The decision to lift the barrier had been made after careful discussion. They planned to use their last remaining energy to launch an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, hoping to cripple the enemy's battlefield command systems.
As time passed, T'Chaka silently prayed to the Panther God, hoping the enemy's attack pattern would remain unchanged.
Perhaps his prayers were heard, or perhaps General Ross—the supreme commander of the U.S. forces—was simply too set in his ways, but the bombing gradually slowed.
Seizing the moment, T'Chaka gave the signal through his communicator:
"Wakanda forever!"
It was the signal for Wakanda's counterattack—the signal to strike back.
Hum!
The energy barrier, which had been riddled with four breaches, suddenly vanished. At the same time, a dazzling electromagnetic pulse erupted from the central tower of Wakanda.
The pulse split into four as it ascended, then spread outward, targeting the coalition forces surrounding Wakanda in all directions.
Within seconds, the EMP detonated. All electronic devices within range were rendered useless, and communication systems were completely paralyzed.
"It's an EMP attack! Fortunately, our equipment is shielded. Captain Carlo, should we attack now? They've even disabled their own energy barrier…"
Twenty miles outside Wakanda's perimeter, the American military and Umbrella Corporation's super soldier team had been lying in wait.
General Ross's analysts had predicted Wakanda wouldn't hold out much longer, so the elite team had been deployed in advance.
Their equipment had been specially designed by the Pent Group to withstand various countermeasures—including EMPs. Their mission: to breach Wakanda once the energy barrier fell.
The team's leader, Carlo, was one of Umbrella's first-generation super soldiers. He had also been entrusted with orders from Kain himself.
"Hold position for now," Carlo instructed. "Our comms are EMP-proof. Wait for the signal from above."
Before he could finish, his satellite communicator buzzed. When he answered, General Ross's voice came through:
"In twenty minutes, airstrikes will resume. They no longer have an energy barrier. Capture the King of Wakanda within 20 minutes. If you can't—kill him."
Carlo responded without hesitation.
"Understood."
Turning to his team, he gave the final order.
"Let's move."
After hearing Carlo's order, the rest of the team immediately retrieved new equipment from their supply crates, including twenty miniature reconnaissance drones, each only two centimeters in size.
These drones would relay all collected data to the Red Queen, who would then provide tactical updates to the entire team.
As soon as the energy barrier disappeared, the warriors of Wakanda's five major tribes surged forward.
They knew exactly where the enemy's tank positions and rear camps were. With the enemy's command systems crippled and their electronic equipment rendered useless, this was Wakanda's best—and perhaps only—chance to turn the tide of battle.
King T'Chaka had prepared them for this moment.
Wakanda's greatest vulnerability was prolonged artillery bombardment. But against mere guns and soldiers? Their shields would hold.
One of the super soldiers found himself face-to-face with a Wakandan warrior.
Fortunately, the Red Queen had warned them in time, allowing them to activate their electronic cloaking barriers and vanish from sight.
These cloaking devices worked by mimicking the surrounding environment, effectively rendering the soldiers invisible. They were constructed using a rare material—fur from invisible beasts.
Once the Wakandan warrior had passed, the team deactivated their cloaking barriers. One of them, still in disbelief, turned to his captain.
"Captain, did I just see what I think I saw? A floating boat... and a rhinoceros? Is that some kind of Wakandan battle tactic, or was that rhino actually mechanical?"
"Probably a real rhino," the captain replied after glancing at the thermal readings. He didn't fully understand the logic behind the combination, but that wasn't his concern. Their mission came first.
Without hesitation, he led his team deeper into the capital.
"Your Majesty, our warriors have engaged the enemy, but it seems they anticipated our attack. So far, the results have been... underwhelming."
Watching the battlefield through the reconnaissance drones, T'Chaka's expression darkened. He shook his head, his voice heavy with regret.
"They know too much about Wakanda. It seems they planted spies among us months ago... and I failed to notice."He clenched his fists. "I am a failed king."
"Your Majesty, this is not your fault..." one of the Dora Milaje reassured him.
Despite the crisis, nearly all of Wakanda's tribes remained fiercely loyal to their king. Even the Jabari Tribe, known for their isolationism, had arrived with their families to stand alongside their brethren.
HUM~!
Suddenly, an alarm blared through Birnin Zana.
T'Chaka and the Dora Milaje barely had time to process it before an urgent warning came through the Technical Supervision Department:
"Your Majesty, enemies have infiltrated Birnin Zana!"
BOOM!
Before the message could even finish, a gunshot rang out.
A strange voice crackled through T'Chaka's miniature earpiece:
"Your Majesty, the hunt has begun. Good luck."
Umbrella's infiltration team had arrived.
Their success was due, in part, to Umbrella's diverse recruitment strategy—having Black operatives among them made it easier to blend in with the Wakandan populace.
Once inside Birnin Zana, Carlo executed the next phase of their plan: unleashing the Red Queen's split-virus into Wakanda's independent network.
Slowly but surely, the virus began taking over.
Most of the Technical Supervision Department was too focused on the battlefield to realize what was happening. None of them had anticipated that, the moment the energy barrier fell, enemy agents would already be inside the city.
By the time they detected the Red Queen's presence, it was too late.
Carlo had already bypassed all surveillance and security systems. He reached the Technical Monitoring Room, opened the door—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunfire erupted as he swiftly eliminated the personnel inside.
The Red Queen's voice echoed in his earpiece:
"There are currently 136 people in this tower. 31 are in the highest command room. The remaining 105 are split into 21 teams surrounding your location. In five minutes, Wakanda's entire network will be under my control."
With the Red Queen's guidance, Carlo's team was no longer blindly navigating Birnin Zana—they now had a clear mapof their targets.
The takeover had begun.
The Dora Milaje knew exactly how much trouble they would be in if the Technical Supervision Department fell into enemy hands. Reclaiming it was their top priority.
"The hunt is truly about to begin."
After receiving confirmation from the Red Queen, Carlo erased all records of vibranium deposits and veins from Birnin Zana's network and immediately transmitted the data to General Ross.
Upon receiving the intel, Ross wasted no time deploying an assault force equipped with advanced weaponry to Birnin Zana. Meanwhile, Wakanda's high-tech fighter jets, once a major threat, were now being pushed further and further away from the city.
Individually, one Wakandan jet could take on five American fighters, but their numbers were few, and their tactical coordination was lacking. Ross, unconcerned with losses, continued his relentless air assault, swiftly gaining air superiority at the cost of heavy casualties.
Had he been aboard a warship instead of a battlefield command center, Ross might have popped open a bottle of champagne. With this victory, perhaps he could even consider a run for president in the next general election.
"Wakanda forever!"
A sharp laser beam flashed across the battlefield.
The last remaining Dora Milaje warrior was sent flying. Before she could hit the ground, two more lasers struck her midair. Her body convulsed as her brown skin charred, turning black from the intense heat. Smoke curled from her lifeless form.
Carlo shook his head, unimpressed.
"That slogan isn't working out for you. Maybe next time, try saying 'Umbrella Forever'—you might live a little longer."
Lowering his weapon, he turned toward T'Chaka, approaching slowly, his laser rifle trained on the Wakandan king.
"Don't move, Your Majesty," Carlo warned, his voice loud and clear. "Any sudden movements, and my team will open fire."
T'Chaka met his gaze and gave a slow nod.
"I understand. I won't—"
Before he could finish his sentence, the Red Queen issued an urgent alert.
Without hesitation, Carlo and his team fired simultaneously, each shot precisely aimed. T'Chaka's limbs shattered, forcing him to the ground in agony.
Carlo then tossed a miniature EMP device onto him, instantly scrambling his bioelectric signals and disabling all nearby electronic systems.
T'Chaka had tried something. The Red Queen's surveillance cameras caught his subtle movements—hence why Carlo acted without mercy. The team placed their trust in the AI, and the AI never hesitated.
Carlo scoffed.
"Hah. It's one thing for the Dora Milaje to be tough, but a pampered king showing this much resistance? That's rare."
With that, he stripped T'Chaka of all his equipment and ran a quick biometric scan. Once satisfied, he injected the king with a recovery serum—not out of kindness, but necessity.
T'Chaka was still valuable. A king was an asset. He couldn't die yet.
With T'Chaka subdued, Carlo activated Birnin Zana's 3D tactical map, studying the battlefield.
The allied forces were methodically sweeping the city, eliminating the last remnants of Wakandan resistance. Though most of the civilians weren't warriors, their access to advanced technology made them dangerous even to elite troops.
Carlo tapped his earpiece.
"Warren, status update?"
A voice crackled through his comms.
"Almost done collecting. But there's still a lot of vibranium left in the deeper veins. The mining process is... complicated. I won't be able to extract much."
"Then forget it. Regroup ASAP."
Before Carlo could finish speaking, pain shot through his ankle.
Something had hit him.
His gaze snapped downward—
T'Chaka.
The king had regained consciousness far too quickly.
Carlo narrowed his eyes.
"That's… impossible."
Even with a recovery serum, a super soldier would need at least twenty minutes before regaining consciousness. But T'Chaka? He was already moving.
Had he undergone enhancements?
T'Chaka's voice was weak but defiant.
"No... don't hurt Wakanda... my people..."
Carlo exhaled.
"Relax, Your Majesty. We're the good guys. As long as your people don't resist, the Coalition Forces won't massacre civilians."
BOOM!
Without waiting for a response, Carlo slammed his hand into T'Chaka's neck, delivering a precise knockout strike.
The king went limp once more.
Carlo rolled his shoulders.
"Not that it really matters. I'm not with the Coalition."
He stood up, surveying the battlefield.
The occupation of Wakanda was nearly complete.
…
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